


Uncle Gary To The Rescue

by theprincessed



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Canon Compliant, Family Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, M/M, Music, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 15:57:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13907403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincessed/pseuds/theprincessed
Summary: Aaron is relieved for a precious second before he realises what it is and he internally groans, staring at the wonder shown on Seb's little face as he listens. To Gary flippin' Barlow! “Really? I thought you had better taste than that.”Charting the start of Seb's love affair with his first musical hero.





	Uncle Gary To The Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! I wasn't gonna write this yet and I was thinking of using it for something else, but then the perfect opportunity presented itself and I couldn't ignore. This is very, very loosely based on a real life experience I had with my first nephew and the song [Let Me Go](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENrj5u_lrWw).
> 
> Hope you enjoy this silly fluff x

Robert has been trying to leave the Mill for the last 15 minutes. 

As much as he wants to stay with his son, he's faced with a scheduled meeting he can't get out of if he still wants Home James to be a somewhat successful business and for Nicola to have no reason to threaten him with neutering. The plan is for Aaron to take the morning off from the scrapyard to watch Seb, with Gerry on hand to keep things ticking over up there until Robert can come home. However, each time he puts his hand on the stained glass door, Seb cries and he helplessly folds for another five minutes.

This time, Robert puts his folders on the kitchen table and reaches for his inconsolable son, Aaron's worry evident in how he releases him and then bites anxiously at his thumbnail. They both know it's a bad habit, but if either of them voice it they'll sound like complete and utter _dads_. It's only been a few days since Seb moved in with the four of them and he's been a total angel so far. Robert suspects he's just having a grumpy day, so he finds his favourite cuddly toy giraffe, he's had since he was born, mislaid behind the sofa cushions and wiggles it enticingly in front of him as Seb blinks at the furry face and his tears reduce to grimacing whimpers.

“There we go,” Robert murmurs softly, kissing his forehead. “You hold him and keep him happy 'til Daddy comes back, yeah? I love you.” With the mood a lot calmer, he carefully hands Seb back to Aaron and wipes his wet cheeks gently with his thumb, smiling fondly. Aaron leans in for a kiss, making Robert grin knowingly at him. “I love you too.”

“Good. Now go before he kicks off again or you'll be late,”

“Yes, dear!”

Robert gets a badly aimed kick to his shins for his cheekiness as he picks up his work and finally makes it out of the door. Seb has been fairly clingy with Robert for the past week, but they'd both put it down to him still getting used to his new surroundings or a horrible time with teething, so when Robert's been gone for half an hour and the crying starts once more, Aaron breathes in deeply. Seb flails his arms and the giraffe goes flying onto the floor, except no amount of Aaron constantly picking him up will now soothe the baby.

In fact, he tries everything.

He sniffs to make sure Seb doesn't need a change, tries him with a snack in case he's peckish after breakfast some time ago and distracts him with other toys but nothing sticks. He's almost wishing Liv was here and not at school for once because she might have more luck today. It's irrational to feel a little hurt and yet it's there wedged beneath his ribs like a stone as he's usually the one with the magic touch around babies.

With every other option exhausted, he calls Robert.

“Aaron, are you alright? Is it Seb?” he answers, sounding panicked immediately and Aaron winces because Seb is in a full scale tantrum and he hadn't thought how it would come across down the phone.

“We're fine!” he shouts over the high-pitched cry, “But your son is really giving his lungs a good go! Any ideas how I can convince him not to? Will you talk to him?”

“Aaron, he's four months old!” Robert laughs, “Besides, I thought you were the baby whisperer? You've showed me up before, in the portacabin, remember?”

“I knew you'd hold that over me.” he grumbles then holds his phone near Seb's wide open mouth, Robert on speakerphone. “Hey Seb, mate, talk to Daddy. Tell him how you really feel,”

It's fairly ridiculous, but Robert gives it his all and they're lucky that in his stage of development Seb can recognise his father's voice, especially when it's soft and comforting. He has used it more than once when Aaron's needed it himself, the depth of love for each other altering how he speaks, and eventually he manages to calm Seb down.

“Thank you,” Aaron breathes into the phone. “The sooner you get back to work, the sooner you can come home.”

“I knew you missed me,” he replies cockily before they exchange goodbyes.

Needing a coffee fix, Aaron puts Seb onto his activity gym playmat in the hopes that he can step towards the kitchen whilst the animals and crinkly noises distracts him for a few minutes, but he is too clever for his own good already and realises he's been 'left' as Aaron drops a capsule into the fancy coffee machine they have but never seem to use unless it's Robert on a Sunday morning too lazy to go up the street to Bob's.

At the return of his cries, Aaron rushes over and picks Seb up from the floor to hold him over his shoulder and make his drink one-handed, bouncing and shushing him when he's done. Determined not to let it get the better of both of them, he pulls a teething ring out of the freezer just in case and switches on the radio for something other than baby cries, fiddling to get away from DJs talking to some actual music. When he finds a station playing a song, a miracle occurs.

Seb suddenly stops crying.

Aaron is relieved for a precious second before he realises what it is and he groans internally, staring at the wonder shown on Seb's little face as he listens. To Gary flippin' Barlow! “Really? I thought you had better taste than that.”

The song ends over three and a half minutes later and, whilst grateful, Aaron sighs and switches the station. He glances at a quiet Seb, quickly alarmed when his chin wobbles in a tell-tale warning. He puts the station back, but it's as he feared – the current song on after Gary somehow doesn't work and Seb grizzles. Aaron feels like he'll probably cry out of desperation himself when he has an idea and as much as his musical sensibilities hate it, he pulls up Spotify on his phone and searches for not only Gary, but the exact same song.

He snorts in amusement when Seb's expression smooths out like the first time, fascinated, upon hearing the chorus and he can't help giving him a little squeeze to his chest, hearing him giggle.

He'll endure it a second time then find them something else to do, hoping that the novelty of Seb having his very first favourite song will have worn off...

_Fly high and let me go / that sky will save your soul / when you pass by then you'll know / that this is gonna take a bit of getting used to, but I know what's right for you / so let me go_

+

After that, looking after Seb is a breeze and Robert arrives home hours later, even though it feels like time has passed within the blink of an eye. Aaron doesn't think much of the song, but Seb's reaction has made it worth it and that's the reason he'll always give as to why Robert walks in on him holding Seb's tiny hand in his as he whirls around in circles across the kitchen floor to the music for the millionth time and bounces him in his arms, making him happily squeal. Anything is preferable to shrieking cries.

He stops when Robert says hello, alerting them to his smirking presence.

“You dare tell anyone about this and I'll never have sex with you again,” he threatens, quiet for Seb's benefit but deadly serious. Robert raises his hands in silent agreement that it's their little family secret and switches the song off, believing its no longer needed. However, as he reaches for his son, his face reddens and he shoves his fist in his mouth as if reminded of his teething troubles. Robert's about to shush him when Aaron puts the song back on with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Daddy, meet Uncle Gary - our new babysitter. I'm going for a shower. Enjoy!”

He makes his escape and enjoys his time alone, idly daydreaming about how fit his husband looked in his new suit this morning, and yet he's confused when he descends the stairs to a different song playing. How Robert managed it without Seb throwing a fit he'll never know, but he still gives him a curious look.

Robert is swaying gently in the living room, Aaron's phone on the coffee table instead and Seb half asleep on his shoulder. “This album ain't half bad y'know,”

Aaron baulks. “Album? I looked for one song!”

“Oh dear, Seb.” Robert says into his baby-soft temple, a ghost of a smile tugging at his hidden mouth as he keeps his eyes on his perplexed other half, “I think Aaron is an Uncle Gary snob. No soppy ballads for him. Silly Aaron, eh? Gary Barlow _is_ Mr Soppy Ballad, even when he was with Take That the first time 'round.”

“Alright, superfan,” he glares, not keen on being thought of as a snob, considering his mum forced bloody Adele on them at their wedding. He thinks _boybands_ are shit, so what?

That said, looking at how content Seb has become as he winds down for a nap and Gary croons in the background, Aaron has to admit that they do seem to have their good points and Gary Barlow saved the day today.

\---

It's a Wednesday afternoon when the subject unexpectedly comes up again. Aaron and Robert are home for lunch, the scrapyard closed so Gerry returned with them as well, probably hoping for something to eat without lifting a finger. With Vic in work and Rebecca at another hypnotherapy appointment, it's down to Robert today to feed Seb and to keep him amused until he is to spend the night back at Keeper's. The Mill is his home now, but they've all agreed for him to keep some ties to wherever his mum (and his auntie) is too.

At five and a half months, Seb's personality is starting to really shine. It must be thanks to all the early forehead kisses and shirtless cuddles that he's already an affectionate little boy, gumming his open mouth to the smoothness of Robert's cheek and lifting his arms for a willing hug from Aaron any time he's free. He's also a known hater of tummy time, despite it being useful, and is fast approaching being able to eat solid food, but they're impatiently holding on a little longer. Robert can't wait for him to try anything and everything whereas Aaron's a little more wary. As Robert sits down opposite Seb in his high chair, apron bib covering his arms and torso, he has to admit that he will miss his son being dependent on him for every single morsel. He's growing up.

“Right then, Seb,” he declares to get the baby's attention on him, becoming aware of his own name, “are we ready for some incredible sausage casserole?”

He sees Aaron turn from making a cup of tea, first at Robert's words and then to roll his eyes at Gerry dumping his empty plate on the side instead of in the sink. “Make sure its - ”

“ - Yes, it's mashed to oblivion,” Robert sighs, used to having the same conversation about Seb's food every single time.

He's surprised when Aaron chuckles and squeezes his shoulder on the way past throwing the teabag into the food waste recycling bin. “I'm just sayin' because you know how he is with the texture of meat. Don't come cryin' to me when he projectile vomits all over your shirt before this afternoon's meetings,”

“That's chicken. He's fine with sausage,” Robert tests the mush with his fingertip to make sure it's cooled enough and scrapes a mouthful onto Seb's plastic spoon. “Aren't ya, lovely boy? Seb loves sausage, mmm!”

With his language skills beginning to improve more and more each week, Seb opens and closes his mouth a few times and his hands smack his high chair in excitement. Robert can't help smile and he glances up to see Aaron hide his with his mug, but his sparkling eyes give him away. At first, he thinks it's being hungry and then when he's still doing it after a few bites, Robert wonders if he's actually trying to talk, except the TV being so suddenly loud is rather distracting for him, never mind his young son. It's small mercies that Liv isn't currently around to add to the noise, her tastes often clashing in her room with Gerry's.

“Gerry, can you turn that down for God's sake?” he hisses, determined to keep his voice light and his concentration mostly on Seb who's wriggling but still fairly happy to eat.

He has to turn and glare and Aaron looks up curiously when the sound gets louder for a moment, not quieter, and they watch unimpressed as Gerry scrabbles underneath his legs. “Oops, sorry sitting on the remote!”

“Ga!” Seb gurgles around another spoonful and Robert nods, assuming he means Gerry. “ _Ga_!” he repeats more forcefully, spraying his bib with muddy orange goo and his bright blue eyes utterly transfixed to the side of his dad.

He continues to say it over and over, even as Robert clocks what's on the TV. Gerry must've been flicking through the music channels as there, clear as day, is an old Take That video playing on their big screen. Every time Gary's face appears, Seb makes the same sound. It appears that “Ga!” is Seb's personal nickname for Gary Barlow.

Gerry starts laughing and copying Seb to encourage him to continue because he's a madman and all Robert can do is rest his hand still holding Seb's spoon on the kitchen table and share a bewildered look with his husband. Forget Daddy, it seems the first meaningful relationship he has outside of his family is an unrequited one with a singer.

“What've you done?” he mock-gasps, entirely prepared to lay the blame for this on a mortified Aaron.

\---

During a Friday free lesson, Liv makes good on her offer to pick Seb up from half day at nursery because everyone else had to work and putting him there for a few hours gives him a chance to socialise with other children before he eventually goes full-time. With no one to tell her not to, Liv stops at David's for crisps for herself and to sneak a packet of gummy Haribo sweets for Seb because its kind of funny to see him chomp on them as his new 16-month old baby teeth continue to come through.

Passing the magazine stand on the way to Tracy waiting at the till, Seb starts to restlessly reach out over Liv's shoulder. “Uncle Gary!”

Naturally confused at his seemingly random outburst, she looks around but there's no one there that he could've mistaken for a relative, let alone a Gary. She's sure she read online that the name Gary is dying out and puts it down to him testing out his recent ability to form two word sentences like “Daddy up” and “me food”.

Even so, Seb is insistent and that's when she notices his gaze fixed on a particular magazine with three men posing moodily on the front. To keep him trouble free and happy – he can ruin the pages all he likes – she uses the money Aaron gave her this morning for school to buy the magazine with the crisps and sweets because she still has the money Robert gave her too in another pocket, not knowing Aaron had already given her some, by her tactical omission.

Seb babbles on her hip all the way home after that and jabs a finger at a bearded face that she vaguely recognises maybe doing a song for that _Kingsman_ film that came out a few years ago, the little boy practically screaming “Uncle Gary!” again in delight as they walk through the door. 

She stops when she sees Aaron and Robert in the living room playing with the VR headset and decidedly _not_ at work. Aaron's still laughing at his husband's pitiful attempts at whatever game they're trying to play like amateurs when she clears her throat and breaks their gross bubble of love.

“Oh, hi you two!” Robert grins, getting to his feet. “What you got there, mate?” he asks his son, magazine crumpled in his spit-shiny hands.

As is her right as a hypocritical sister, she'll give them grief for slacking off later, but right at this moment she has more pressing matters to attend to. “Is there a reason Seb keeps calling this guy 'Uncle Gary'?” she asks, opening the magazine to show him and Aaron the cover.

“Daddy! Dada! _Uncle Gary_!” Seb parrots happily, obliviously hugging the magazine when Liv gives it back to him.

Robert raises an eyebrow and smirks at Aaron, who pinches his nose and screws his eyes shut, sighing. “It's a long story...”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies x
> 
> I'm on tumblr at [theprincessed](http://www.theprincessed.tumblr.com). Come chat to me. :)


End file.
